Outdoor lovers
Hiking in the Bulb Region
Looking for a great walk? The Bollenstreek offers some of the most scenic walking routes in the Netherlands. Explore the area via the Duin en Bollenstreek Walking Network with over 100 km of clearly marked trails.
Walk through nature, past colorful flower fields, dunes, and charming villages while enjoying peace and birdsong. Handy features like bridges, route junctions, and traditional hand ferries make exploring easy and fun.
Choose a full-day hike or a short walk—there’s a route for everyone. Discover the diversity of the Bollenstreek and see why it’s one of the most popular walking destinations in the Netherlands.
What is a hiking node?
The hiking nodes show you the way. A node is a numbered junction or intersection in a regional walking network. A footpath or quiet road forms the connection between those points. Most walks follow these hiking nodes.
Historic Heritage
-
A remarkable number of estates and country estates from the past have been preserved. The special history can be felt everywhere. Not only in the beautiful houses and historic interiors, but also in the surrounding landscape gardens and park forests. Discover these green oases where you can relax and let yourself be transported back in time.
-
Castles and Villa's
Castles, beautiful country estates and centuries-old manors with coach houses reveal an impressive history. The Bulb Region was popular with the nobility and wealthy townspeople as a summer residence outside the city. -
Jan Steen Walk
The 17th-century painter Jan Steen was born in Leiden, but lived and worked for a number of years in Warmond. Follow in the footsteps of the famous painter and discover more about his life and work in the historic village of Warmond.
-
Teylingen Walk
A route along the Klinkenbergerplas, the Boerhaavetuin in Voorhout and Warmond estates and monuments. Passing the Oosterhout Estate and Huis te Warmont, you walk back through the Dorpsstraat towards the starting point. -
Footsteps along the "Trekvaart"
This walk takes you along the "Trekvaart", also called Leidsevaart or Haarlemmertrekvaart, between Lisse and Hillegom. Via the centre of Hillegom you walk past bulb land, Keukenhof castle and the former Lisse railway station back to your starting point. -
Estates Route
Discover the estates between Noordwijkerhout and Noordwijk and imagine yourself in the days when wealthy ladies and gentlemen strolled around here. In the 16th century, the first estates were built here by rich merchants and regents.
Pastures, Ponds and Meadows
-
Cows and sheep are grazing in the meadow, birds are chirping and a farmer is mowing the grass. In the rural surroundings of the polder, surrounded by a large area of lakes, you will experience an oasis of peace. With beautiful Dutch skies, characteristic windmills and the rural character, walking is a feast!
-
Rural Hillegom
Walking through rural Hillegom is enjoying tranquillity and views. The route starts in the Vosse- en Weerlanerpolder, a piece of peat meadow land with a surprising wealth of plants and birds! You can see no less than 230 species of plants here -
Walking in the "Lisser Poel"
The Lisser Poelpolder is one of the oldest reclaimed land areas in the Netherlands; around 1624, the last drops of water were pumped out of the polder and the island Rooversbroek became mainland. The footpaths in this area are partly paved, partly unpaved.
-
Zwanburg Route
The Zwanburg Route is a beautiful hiking route at the edge of the Kagerplassen and 't Joppe. To get to the Zwanburgerpolder, hikers are ferried across by the beautifully restored notary's boat from 1908: De heere Schouten. -
Living Heritage Route
"Blaarkoppen" and "Lakenvelders" - there are only a few thousand purebred animals left of these centuries-old Dutch cow breeds. Various Warmond farmers consciously choose for these endangered historical breeds and dedicate themselves to ensuring that they can still be seen in the meadows. -
Welly Boot Trail
A fun and adventurous walk across the meadows and woods around the Keukenhof estate. Stroll through this area, climb over fences and discover the most beautiful spots of the estate, but don't forget to put on your boots beforehand!
Forest, Beach and Dune
-
Stroll through the woods and the dunes and enjoy the magnificent views from the high dune tops. With a bit of luck, you may see foxes, deer and seals in one day... In the middle of the most densely populated area of the Netherlands, vast, quiet and unspoilt.
-
Deer Spotting in the Dunes
Hiking in the "Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen", a unique nature area with a rich flora and fauna. With so much dune area in the Bulb Region, you can take many walks. And every piece of dune is unique. In addition to the many bird species and foxes, there is also a good chance that you will come face to face with a fallow deer during your walk. -
Walking in "de Coepelduynen"
Walking through the Coepelduynen between Noordwijk and Katwijk. A unique and varied area for a lovely dune walk through the alternation of dune grasslands, brushwood and woods with special plants and animals. The route is easy to combine with a walk along the beach!
-
From Fresh water to Salt
From fresh water to salt is a varied walk through the Dutch dunes. One moment you walk under shady trees, the next the landscape breaks open completely and you walk through open dune area. The area is home to pine marten, foxes and rabbits. But you can also spot roe deer and fallow deer. -
Gnomes and Castles
Would you like to go for a walk in the woods? The Keukenhof woods, a varied and hilly woodland with beech, oak and coniferous trees, are accessible via the hiking junctions. From the woods you can walk straight to the estate of Keukenhof Castle. For the little visitors, there is a fun gnome walk. -
Along Warmond's Park Forests
Walking through the historic village you will enjoy the park forests around Huys te Warmont and other estates, churches and monasteries. In the watery silence area on the island of Koudenhoorn, you will find a great diversity of birds (not accessible during the breeding season).
Bulbs and Flowers
-
The Bulb Region is the area on the Dutch coast where the bulb-growing industry originated. This region is particularly known for growing tulip bulbs as well as crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths, but also summer flowers such as the dahlia. In spring, you should visit the Dune and Flowerbulb Region! -
Northern Bulb Route
The Northern Bulb Route is part of the Bollenstreek (bulb-growing region) walking network, the best way to discover this beautiful region! The route largely follows paved paths, but also passes meadows and bulb fields. In spring, the fields form a beautiful patchwork quilt. -
Flower Walk Lisse
The Flower Walk takes you, for the most part on paved paths, past the blossoming bulb fields, the Keukenhof wood and the Keukenhof Manor. In spring, the fields are full of daffodils, hyacinths and tulips.
-
Veldzicht Route
Discover the versatility of the landscape in the Bulb Region. Walk past the bulb fields at the foot of the Coepelduynen, over the grounds of residential care home Willem van den Bergh and along the meadows in "De Klei". Before or after the walk, it is worth visiting the Regional Museum Veldzicht. -
Floral Beauty
On the route you will walk away from the hustle and bustle. Along the Leidsevaart, the Bulb Region During your walk you will see the daffodils, the hyacinths and the tulips bloom abundantly in spring. -
Flower Walk Noordwijkerhout
Experience spring in the Bulb Region! As soon as the bulb fields come into bloom, a beautiful walk along the flower fields in Noordwijkerhout should not be missed. From early spring onwards, you can discover the beauty and appeal of the flowering fields here.
Hiking map Bulb Region
"Visit Duin- en Bollenstreek" has released a new walking junction map for the Bulb Region hiking network. This beautiful new map includes a clear overview of all walking junctions in our versatile region plus 20 walking routes divided into the themes of Bollen en Bloemen (Bulbs and Flowers), Historical Heritage, Forest, Beach and Dunes and Polders and Lakes.
The map costs €5 and is on sale at:
VVV Noordwijk - Tourist Info, VVV Noordwijkerhout, VVV Warmond aan de Kaag, the Readshop Hillegom
More hiking trails ......
Also check out the hiking pages of Noordwijk, Lisse, Warmond or Hillegom for many more beautiful routes and for different theme routes per village!
-
In and around Noordwijk
Rugged dunes, vast forests, colourful bulb fields and a 13 km long sandy beach. -
In and around Lisse
Colourful flower fields and the beautiful countryside around Lisse are a feast for the senses -
In and around Warmond
Walking through Dutch polder landscapes with windmills, you will have beautiful views overlooking the water. -
In and around Hillegom
Along wide stretches of bulb fields or straight through the Vosse- and Weerlanerpolder